A Shadow of His Commanding Persona - Van Dijk Grapples With Waning Influence
The glaring attention that has been trained on one elite Liverpool icon switched to another on Anfield's fresh desperate night.
Mohamed Salah has come under fire for his subpar performances this campaign - and was relegated to the bench for the second straight Premier League game as Sunderland came to town on Wednesday.
But it was captain Virgil van Dijk, a exceptional defensive rock as Liverpool have collected the full collection of major prizes, whose poor form came under the microscope during the 1-1 draw.
The Experienced Pair and Contract Extensions
Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both inked high-value two-year deals in the summer, with not one Liverpool concern voiced at the prospect of handing contracts to a seasoned pair much approaching the end of their careers than the start.
In fact, it was a reason for joy - but now there is no avoiding the harsh truth that performance has dipped worryingly for both.
A Leaky Defense and Summer Spending
Liverpool have been susceptible in defence ever since boss Arne Slot and the club's recruitment team undertook a £450m summer rebuild that has yet to prove anything like its worth.
Concurrently, Van Dijk has started to shed the sense of being untouchable he has held since his £75m transfer from Southampton in January 2018.
Van Dijk has faced additional challenges by center-back colleague Ibrahima Konate's dramatic dip, along with Milos Kerkez not finding his feet at left-back. But the esteemed defender has also fought his own battles, as highlighted by his desperate handball that resulted in a penalty in the heavyweight Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.
An Incident That Encapsulated The Struggle
It was exemplified in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a merited lead, Van Dijk losing possession before retreating and turning away on a 25-yard shot that hit him and looped out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson.
For a defender of such unquestionable quality, Van Dijk has an peculiar tendency of turning away on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's disadvantage.
Bad luck at the conclusion, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk invited with his unusual failure to take charge, Sunderland's Talbi taking advantage.
"Van Dijk loses the ball and then he just retreats. It's the incorrect choice. He needs to go to the ball. Him not making the decision means that no one else knows what to do."
"Virgil Van Dijk last season couldn't make a mistake. Every game he was imperious, but right now he's making mistakes and doubting himself."
Performance Metrics and Missing Leadership
As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's pedigree must not be written off after claiming two Premier Leagues, the Champions League, the FA Cup and two EFL Cups in a stellar Liverpool career.
He has, though, looked a shadow of his usual dominant persona this season, with the poest ball recovery rate per game during his Liverpool career, while key defensive stats are also down on last season.
And, while leadership should not be Van Dijk's sole responsibility alone in a Liverpool team full of experience, it was absent here. No-one was inspiring a team that once again looked lost to grab the game by the throat.
Van Dijk's subpar showing, which ended with him being used as the desperate measure of acting as an emergency striker, was symptomatic of a horribly mediocre Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the outlier rather than the standard.
A Team Lacking Inspiration
Slot stayed with the side that stopped a run of nine losses in 12 games at London Stadium, Salah once more observing from the sidelines.
The Egyptian emerged at the start of the second half as the Kop looked to him for inspiration. It failed to materialize, with £125m Alexander Isak also quiet after opening his account with his first league goal for Liverpool on Sunday.
Slot would have been under even more pressure had Florian Wirtz's 81st-minute shot not been turned in off Nordi Mukiele to set up what Liverpool hoped would be a thrilling finale.
A late scare came - but at the other end. Liverpool were only avoided defeat in stoppage time when Federico Chiesa's superb tracking back allowed him to turn Sunderland substitute Wilson Isidor's shot off the line after he had beaten keeper Alisson.
Credit Due and Looking Ahead
Slot and his fading champions ultimately had to take a point knowing it could have been worse, with Alisson blessed to turn Trai Hume's shot onto the bar in the first half before Omar Alderete headed against the post after the interval.
Liverpool were sluggish, ponderous and devoid of creativity. Even the customary late surge after the equaliser carried little conviction. Displays like this are the reason their defense of their crown has crumbled.
But huge credit for the Reds' struggles on Wednesday must be given to Sunderland, who are being reaping the benefits for a summer of serious ambition in the transfer market, coupled with the fine work of Regis le Bris.
The Black Cats were adventurous, self-believing and a genuine threat.
Sunderland are now sixth in the Premier League with 23 points. It is telling of the manner in which they have embraced life in the Premier League that they will be disappointed they left Anfield without adding two more to their tally.
For Slot and Liverpool, it is a case of going back to basics.